Breakdown of De diplomatie die zij gebruiken, bevordert de vrede.
zij
they
gebruiken
to use
die
who / that (relative pronoun)
bevorderen
to promote
de vrede
the peace
de diplomatie
the diplomacy
Questions & Answers about De diplomatie die zij gebruiken, bevordert de vrede.
Why is the relative pronoun die used here instead of dat?
Because diplomatie is a de-word. In Dutch, relative clauses referring back to a de-word use die, while het-words use dat.
Why does the Dutch sentence use de vrede when the English translation just says "peace"?
In Dutch, abstract concepts and universal ideals like peace (de vrede), nature (de natuur), or love (de liefde) frequently take a definite article when discussed in a broad or general sense, whereas English usually drops the article.
Why are there two verbs right next to each other (gebruiken, bevordert) in the middle of the sentence?
This happens because the relative clause (die zij gebruiken) pushes its verb to the end. Once that clause finishes, the main clause immediately resumes with its main verb (bevordert), resulting in the two verbs sitting side-by-side separated by a comma.
Could I use the verb promoten instead of bevorderen for "promotes" here?
It is much better to use bevorderen. While English uses "promote" for both, Dutch distinguishes them. Promoten is mainly used for marketing, advertising, or campaigning. Bevorderen means to foster, further, or advance a state or process, which fits perfectly with an abstract concept like peace.
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